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Brant Bjork - Tao Of The Devil

Brant Bjork is something of a legend in the stoner rock scene. Most of that can be attributed to being an original member/drummer of Kyuss, a few years in Fu Manchu, and a record with Vista Chino, but he has established a long career as a solo artist since the bands demise. Tao Of The Devil is arguably his eleventh solo record.

I've checked out some of his past albums, but nothing ever held my interest beyond one listen. Unfortunately, the same holds true for Tao Of The Devil. I've tried to let this one sink in by giving it multiple listens, but it just didn't work. Stoner rock is something of a niche genre and I admittedly don't fit the demographic. However, I can put on Blues For The Red Sun by Kyuss any day and jam out. At least that's one Brant Bjork album with replay value. I don't mean to sound too critical, but Tao Of The Devil is just boring.

There is every stereotypical stoner reference and sound. Lots of talk about weed, fuzzed out guitars and that familiar retro production value. None of it sucks, but most of it falls flat. Perhaps that's partly due to my expectations though. I don't know if I would be so disappointed if this were a band I knew nothing about, but I probably wouldn't even listen to it than.

I absolutely believe there are people that will seriously dig this, but it definitely isn't me. If you enjoy any of the aforementioned bands or anything from the stoner/desert rock genre, this might tickle your fancy.